Retail stores rely heavily on newspaper advertising inserts to increase customer traffic into their stores. Typically these inserts describe items that are on sale at a retail store, and may also include coupons for various items. These inserts are intended to both entice the customer to purchase items described in the insert and to make the customer aware of the type of items sold by a store.
Commonly used inserts are simply folded newsprint pieces that are uniform in size and shape and are often smaller than the newspaper in which they are being inserted. These inserts may also be printed on calendared, coated, or other types of paper, but inserts printed on these types of paper are also uniform in size and shape. These commonly used inserts are deficient in that they are uninteresting and fail to draw the potential customers' attention. This is particularly true because many newspapers contain several inserts, all of which look similar to a consumer.
Advertisers have tried to create inserts that are more attractive to consumers but these inserts have limitations that end up making them less attractive to consumers. For example, advertisers have tried to use inserts that include a folded “gate” at the front of the insert, which consists of an extended page that is folded over the front of the insert to make the insert more interesting. Advertisers have also tried to use inserts that have a smaller-sized ribbon wrapped around the insert to make the insert more attractive. Both folded gate inserts and the ribbon wrapped inserts are problematic because the folded gate or ribbon are prone to becoming misaligned, creased, or folded during the creation and processing of the inserts. For example, the folded gate or ribbon on an insert have been known to become misaligned, creased, or folded when the insert is stacked for later insertion into a newspaper. In addition, the folded gate or ribbon on an insert has been known to slip while it is being transported to the location where it is to be inserted into a newspaper and as a result becomes misaligned, creased, or folded. Finally, the gate or ribbon on an insert has been known to become misaligned, creased, or folded while the insert is being inserted into a newspaper or other primary piece. The misalignment, creasing, or folding of the folded gate or wrapped ribbon on an insert makes the insert very unattractive, greatly reducing its interest to the consumer.
Accordingly, it is desirable to create an insert that is more noticeable to the consumer, which increases the chances that the consumer will look at the insert and patronize the store that is advertising in the insert. Thus, it is desirable to create an attractive and interactive insert that is easier to transport and to properly place into a newspaper, which reduces the chances of the insert becoming misaligned, creased, or folded, thus increasing the chances that a consumer will look at the insert.